vomphrase

Vomphrase is a term used in contemporary linguistics to describe a type of discourse unit that functions as an affectively loaded phrase produced in quick succession, often in spoken language. The term blends vomit and phrase to evoke the sense of a spontaneous, unfiltered spill of words. In analyses, a vomphrase is treated not as a single standard clause but as a compact sequence that behaves syntactically as a unit while containing several smaller components such as interjections, evaluative adjectives, and short clauses tied by shared affect.

Origin and usage: The concept arose in informal online discussions among linguists and language enthusiasts in the 2010s and has been noticed in some corpus studies of spontaneous speech. It is not widely adopted as a formal category in major grammars or corpora. Researchers typically describe vomphrases as instances of venting rhetoric or as discourse markers that convey stance and affect.

Structure and function: Vomphrases often begin with an interjection or expletive and accumulate modifiers and subordinate clauses that elaborate on the speaker's attitude. They can intensify sentiment, cue a turn in dialogue, or signal rejection. They may be syntactically flexible, ranging from single extended noun phrases to sequences that resemble a run-on sentence, yet they are treated as a cohesive unit in discourse analysis.

Examples: "Ugh, this app is slow, glitchy, and unusable." "No, I cannot stand this, this is ridiculous, I’m done."

See also: interjection, discourse marker, venting, exclamative phrase.